There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to the baker. One day, the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he

was getting a pound and he found that he was not. This angered him and he took the farmer to court.

The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure. The farmer replied,our "Your Honour, I am primitive. I don't

have a proper measure, but I do have a scale." The judge asked, "Then how do you weigh the butter?"

The farmer replied, "Your Honour since long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a

pound of bread from him. Everyday, when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker." The moral of the story: We get back in life what we give to others. Whenever you take an action, ask yourself this question: am I giving fair value for the

wages or money I hope to make? Honesty and dishonesty become a habit. Some people practise dishonesty

and can lie with a straight face. Others lie so much that they don't even know what the truth is any more. But

who are they deceiving? Themselves more than anyone else. Honesty can be put across gently. Some people take pride in being brutally honest and, in the process, hurt others.It seems they get a bigger kick out of the brutality than the honesty. The choice of words and tact are important while expressing the truth.

(What Will You Think Of Today? Yourself, The Starving People, Or What You Will Eat Later? Don't Let The Rocket Of Unhappiness Land On Your Planet. Which Medal Are You Worthy Of?)

Anyone, who has done something remarkable in life, has only two legs. Not only two legs, two feet,two eyes and two arms, just like you do. Or may be you think great people, who achieve and create something with their lives, have 100 secret legs, eyes and hands stashed away in a secret place which give them an added advantage?

God Does Not Make You Pick Up A Paint Brush

We are all the same, the different beings, our minds and attitudes, abilities and skills. God gave you the basics (body); He has left it up to you to create the skill to do whatever you want with your body and life, be that an artist, surgeon, musician,doctor, dentist or an accountant.God has given you everything you need to get along in life,except the notion, desire, hunger and motivation which has to come from you and burn inside so you cannot sit down until it's

complete.

Just Two Legs - And See What They Did

The paint brushes are the same and so are everyone's hands, but not the imagination and what the artist sees and thinks which is unique. You are unique and your life should reflect your uniqueness, taking the examples of Gandhi, Jesus,Mother Teresa, The Beatles, or JFK. They were unique and led unique lives; did they not?

Your God-given Talent Is Really Your Own

These great souls all tried to give to the world in one way or another, be it of beauty,righteousness or to enrich everyone's lives. They were unique and created unique ideas and led unique lives. They all gave and did not have to take.Do you not think we should do the same? After all, we know God and have even met Him.So how unique a life should you be leading? You should be pulling the stars from the sky above with your God-given arms. You should be walking to heaven with your God-given legs. You should be creating a heaven wherever you go with your God-given hands. You should be transforming hell into an enjoyable and unique place for all to be with your unique attitude, love and God-given understanding. One would have thought you could change this old boot of a world with leaking holes and crippling stones inside,into a comfortable slipper if you really wanted.It's not everyone who has God, sitting on their shoulders,guiding their hands and feet. Yet some seem only to be able to change their clothes; such is their love, capacity and understanding. Blessed is the one who can change the atmosphere where he sits and most importantly, where he walks. Anyone can change his or her car but rare are the few who can change the world.What will you change today;your hair style or the world? Do you only walk for self gain? Can you walk today with the aim of truly changing the world? Can you forget yourself for one day?Can you really stop thinking of yourself and think of the world and its suffering?Will you make 100% effort today for others less fortunate? Or is your effort based around only self-gain and what makes you feel good? Will you put yourself out today in the pursuit of trying to help others? Most people in life are only concerned with looking good and eating tasty food. God thinks of the starving and how to help them. What do you think of throughout the day? Clothes,hair, food, talking, what are you going to eat later or the starving people in the world? What will you think today? Will you think of the suffering souls or what's for pudding? Will you sit down and think how to help the world

or sit down with tea and biscuits for a chat with a friend? Who do you think of - yourself or the unfortunate? Some think only of their friends and family. God thinks and helps everyone all of the time. Everyday God helps everyone whilst some only ever think of themselves. Some would never even think of causing themselves any discomfort in trying to help anyone else.

Walking For God

Means He'll Work For You Should you decide to use your legs for God's work, they'll grow strong and tough; use your arms to do God's work, you'll grow six more invisible arms; use your hands to point the way to God and you will be able to read your elevated fortune from your palms; use your eyes to see to

others' welfare, and you'll get a 3rd eye and be able to see in the dark; use your voice to talk of God's brilliance, wonder and knowledge, and you shall soon breathe in heaven; use your ears to hear His knowledge, and you'll hear secrets from

history that many have searched all their lives to hear,yet you and only a few souls on earth are hearing now. Use that body of yours for God and become a super human being who knows all, hears all, touches all, sees all and with the strength of 100's.

Bill, Phil & Jill

I have three friends. Bill never takes a pill, whilst Phil could control his will. Jill was always cool and very good at keeping her mind very still and calm. If only everyone were like these three friends who believed in nature's power to

heal, who had great self discipline, and who can maintain inner strength, peace and stability in the face of our crazy world of rush, rush and push, push. Is your life more like a war zone or an orchard of fruit? Are you a walking rifle

or a fruit tree? One will become a cripple and other a giant.

TV (Mind) Remote Control

Is your mind a TV remote control but often choosing the wrong channel (sorrow)? Do you switch on the TV (wake up)

wanting to watch a comedy but get the usual daily soap full of misery? May be you end up switching channel and have to watch a tragedy? Perhaps you watch an epic film all day which of course, has an unhappy ending to it? Most waste the day, and every day (their lives), trying to find something satisfying and interesting (happiness) to watch but end up just getting bored and fed up as usual and going to bed disappointed.

Don't Let The Rocket Of Unhappiness Land On Your Planet (Life)

Make sorrow very hard to stay with you and as remote and as far away as what a tree or tear-drop is from the sun or coal from the moon. Your sorrow should stay with you as easy as what it is for a tear-drop to sit next to the sun.

Today, if you wish to end the day with a smile on your face, you must learn to be a fruit tree in the middle of the desert. To be successful in life, one must give, give, and give even more, otherwise you'll just get by in life unnoticed.

Could a rocket ever land on a planet of jelly? We must learn to mould ourselves to each and every situation in life or else the mould of sorrow will find a way of settling on you. We must

change our attitudes and learn to mould. If you do not change and only stand still in life, mould will attack you for sure. People either carry happiness round with them - or sorrow. Check your pockets (mind).

Wake Up and Throw Away Your Old Batteries (Attitude)

Wake up and make sure you only go shopping for happiness. Throw away your old batteries in your remote control and put positive, energised batteries (attitude) in and you'll automatically tune into channels that make you laugh.

God gives us an armchair of wisdom to view life. Humanity sits in an old deckchair and has chronic backache to the extent it cannot even stand up and see what is going on in the world. People live, eat, talk and sit in pain and ignorance.

Now, what's on TV today worth watching? It really is up to you what you watch (how you live) on TV. Personally, I like to have fun when I watch TV.

Many Are Happy To Walk Backwards Through Life Whilst Others Are Busy Sweating And Moving Forwards

You should always be eager to make yourself 'kitchen ready'. This means you are ready to get hot, sweaty, uncomfortable and busy in the pursuit of helping others. Not to sweat, help others or have some discomfort, is to be always seeing in reverse and walking backwards in life. In this mode can they

ever move forward? If you can't put yourself out with some discomfort in the name of truth, you best serve the world by taking up line dancing or cricket - or rowing, where you travel backwards. Some are so good at rowing

and do not know it; they could even win a gold medal.It is far better to win the 'Bronze Medal of Effort' than the 'Gold Medal of Ignorance'.

Instead of speaking too much and wasting your energy, become experienced in the sweetness of introversion.

The way to become victorious is to face and overcome obstacles.

Throughout the day you would surely be coming across many situations where you have to face obstacles. Check your thoughts at that time. Is there a wish for the obstacle not to have come at all? If there are any such thoughts you will never be victorious. Take a thought in the morning, 'I am ready to face all the situations that the day brings even if they seem like obstacles. It is the duty of obstacles to come and it is my duty to become victorious. And if the obstacle never comes I can never call myself victorious.'

The Significance Of Spiritual Energy (cont.)

Humans live and express themselves by means of four energy forms. We had explained two (physical and mental) yesterday. The other two are:

Emotional:

This is related with how you feel, moody or happy, anxious or nervous. If your feelings are negative, it will end up affecting your body. Feelings of irritability, anxiety or tension can cause stomach ulcers. Along the same lines, with positive feelings you will be able to overcome any illness much more easily.

Spiritual:This is related to our original qualities and values. It is the energy of the soul. Our perspective of the world will depend on the state of our conscience. Spiritual energy guides and provides quality to our thoughts, and that is why it is the highest in the hierarchy.

These energies (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) form a hierarchy, in which physical energy is the lowest and spiritual energy the highest. If we are able to correctly channel the spiritual energy it will influence all the others in a positive way, beginning with our conscience, our feelings, and ending with our body.

Soul Sustenance Is The Supreme Soul (God) Really Omnipresent (present everywhere)?Is it really true that the Supreme Soul (God) is present everywhere, in each atom in the entire universe? The sun is in one place yet its influence can be felt throughout the solar system to different degrees in different places, providing a source of heat and light, needs absolutely essential for our physical life. The closer one is to the sun, the greater the effect. In the same way God, the one who is the ocean of perfect characteristics, the source of all spiritual needs, does not have to be omnipresent (present everywhere) in order to be with us wherever we are. He can be in one location and we can still experience his closeness.

If God were literally omnipresent and thus in every atom, where is this love, peace, joy and wisdom? Are they present in every atom in this human world? If God is present inside me, how could ignorance have come to me in the first place? Can ignorance come to God? If God is omnipresent to where or to whom do I turn my thoughts? Just as a radio transmitter emanates waves throughout the world and a receiver, if tuned in, will pick them up, so too if the mind is tuned totally to the material world and physical activities, then I am unable to experience God practically in my daily life. Even though He always radiates His qualities, I can only pick up those transmissions if I am soul-conscious and if I turn my thoughts in His direction to His location. If God were omnipresent, there would be no meaning to the tradition throughout all cultures to have special places set aside (e.g. temples and churches) for worship. In those special places, is God more omnipresent than in other non-sacred places? If God were omnipresent, are the ones who are so-called "God-realised beings" more "God" than the ones who have not realised?

(To be continued tomorrow ….)

Message for the day

Love and cooperation bring success in all tasks.

Expression: Love is reflected in the love that there is for the person and also for the task. When there is love for the person, there is the ability to give cooperation without any expectations or demands. And when there is love for the task there is the commitment for completing the task, whatever the obstacles that come up in the process of doing things.

Experience: When I am able to have love, I am able to receive hundred percent help and commitment from others too and so I am able to have the satisfaction of moving forward constantly. There is nothing difficult for me and I do everything with great ease. Not only is the task easy but also there is a spread of happiness and joy experienced by all who are involved in the task.

Ibn `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Were people to know of what I know about the dangers of travelling alone, no rider would travel alone at night."[Al-Bukhari].

Commentary:

Lonely travelling, whatever its form, is inadvisable at night and can cause many inconveniences. These inconveniences include deprivation of performing congregational prayers, feelings of loneliness and isolation and facing unexpected situations and damages. But the real reasons behind this prohibition, only Allah knows.

167/958 - Riyad Us-Saliheen (Gardens of the Righteous)

Ka`b bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) set out on Thursday for the expedition of Tabuk. He liked to set out on a journey on Thursdays.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

166/956 - Riyad Us-Saliheen (Gardens of the Righteous)

Spiritual Awakening

Mahbubur Rahman

We, human beings, of past, present and future, are in absolute need of Divine grace and the opportunity to earn His pleasure. Our human power — no matter how great — can't give us immortality and eternal bliss. With or without our consent, we are heading to the clutches of death. But as we all know, death is not the end. Death is simply the start of a journey from this world to the Divine presence. To God is our ultimate return and on the Great Day of Final Judgment, we will be asked about, and held accountable for, our thoughts, intentions, feelings, motives, and actions. Not one human soul can escape this reality, no matter how much he denied during his lifetime this meeting with the Lord, the Almighty God.

Yet how many of us lead our lives with full consciousness of this reality? Why can't we keep this awareness as we ought to do? Why do many of us fail to elevate ourselves? God Almighty, our creator who knows all of our affairs—hidden or manifest — tells us in the Quran: "Verily, he truly prospers who purifies himself and glorifies the name of the Guardian-Lord, and (lifts his heart) in prayer. But you prefer the life of this world, whereas the life hereafter is better and ever- lasting. This indeed is what is taught in the former scriptures, the scriptures of Abraham and Moses." (87:15-20) These verses of the Quran are very revealing and eye-opening, and therefore require further elaboration so that we might deeply contemplate and comprehend their meaning.

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (pbuh), said, "If someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the eyes of God, he has only to look at what place he gives to God [in his heart and life]."

The first and foremost point is the emphasis on purification—cleansing ourselves from all manner of defilement. We are created in a very complex fashion and our minds, hearts, and physical bodies are in constant fluctuation and vulnerable to imbalance. Likewise, our faith increases and decreases, and so our manners in dealing with other people can be of greater or lesser quality. Therefore, it's a matter of ongoing struggle, to engage in the process of contemplation and self-examination, continually striving to perfect our manners in our relationship with ourselves, with others, and above all, in our relationship with our Lord. This battle of our inner forces, of the heart and the ego, is the scene for the "testing period" here on earth.

As God the Almighty states in the Quran, it is "He who created death and life in order to test which of you is best in deed." (67:2)

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also reminded us: "Be heedful! There is a piece of flesh in your bodies that when it is well, the rest of you is well, and when it is sick, the rest of you is sick. Know that it is the heart." Veritably, a heart is healthy when it is cleansed of wrongful concerns and heedless impulses, those being put right by the practice of good morals and genuine surrender to God.

Every soul is created in a pure form, but as we live and engage in human society, our personalities are shaped by multiple influences. Some are positive and some are negative. Therefore, we have to consciously strive to discern what elevates us and what debases us, and use our God-given faculties to cultivate the best elements within ourselves and eliminate the rest. Only a sound heart will find entry into Paradise.

The second point we can glean from the above verse is that the constant remembrance of God is the key to spiritual elevation and success. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "If someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the eyes of God, he has only to look at what place he gives to God [in his heart and life]." Indeed, a God-oriented life for man starts by his remembering God and following His commandments in every sphere of his life. The remembrance of God should never be absent from our hearts and minds no matter where we are and whoever or whatever we are dealing with. Indeed, successful will be the ones who earn God's grace on the Day of Judgment, whose balance of good deeds will be weightier than that of their bad deeds; and that only proceeds from a cultivated habit of remembering God and what He has ordained.

The third point is that the attitude and approach toward this worldly life must be proper. We should not sacrifice the hereafter which is permanent and real, for this worldly life which is transitory and illusionary. As Hasan Al-Basri so rightly and eloquently stated, "What is this world but a dream that a sleeper sees—he delights in it for a few moments, and then wakes up to face reality."

The "reality" he refers to is accountability in the Hereafter. Along these same lines, the Prophet (pbuh) advised us that we should have "an indifference towards the abode of delusions." Indeed, "disconnecting one's heart from the life of this world," as Imam Ghazali has pointed out, "is not fully achieved unless one also possesses a balanced character and a sound and upright heart." Another prophetic tradition reminds us, "Good character and morals transform errors as water melts ice, while bad character alters good deeds as vinegar cuts honey." Therefore, when we err, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that every mistake is an opportunity and a signal that it is time to grow in our relationship with God. And as we turn to Him walking, He turns to us rushing. May God help us experience this spiritual awakening and enable us to beautify our hearts and lives with His Divine Light. Amen.

ALLAH'S Beautiful Name: AL-FASIL - He Who Distinguishes (in the best way)

As for those who believe and those who are Jews, Sabaeans, Christians, Magians, and associaters, Allah will distinguish between them on the Day of Rising. Allah is witness of all things. (Surat al-Hajj, 22:17)

Some people seek mundane goals all their lives. Forgetting about the Hereafter, they strive for those goals they deem to be good. While doing this, however, they forget their real responsibility: to serve Allah. In order to please and thereby to earn the good pleasure of the deities they associate with Allah, they put forth a lot of effort and think that they benefit themselves and others.

Some people, on the other hand, devote their lives to Allah by using all of the means and blessings He grants them to earn His good pleasure. They seek to attain the straight path, please Allah, and display the moral excellence He demands from His servants.

The Qur'an states that the situation of these two people will not be the same, as follows:

The blind and seeing are not the same, nor are darkness and light, nor are cool shade and fierce heat. The living and dead are not the same. Allah makes anyone He wills hear, but you cannot make those in the grave hear. (Surah Fatir, 35:19-22)

On the Day of Judgment, Allah will distinguish between these people who adhere to differing paths and make them aware of their situation. On that Day, everyone will be fully repaid for what they did, and He will manifest His infinite justice:

On the Day of Rising, your Lord will decide between them regarding everything about which they differed. (Surat as-Sajda, 32:25)

A Benefit regarding the Ruling on Shaking Hands of Everyone when Entering a Gathering

Shaykh Ibn al Uthaymeen may Allah have mercy upon him was asked regarding the ruling on shaking hands of every one when entering a gathering, and weather or not there is a proof for it from the Quran or the Sunnah.

The answer: I don not know anything for it {its permissibility} from the Sunnah, so because of this it is not appropriate to be done. Some people when they enter a gathering begin shaking hands with the one whom they are closest to until they reach the furthest individual, rather this is not legislated {in the Quran or Sunnah} base upon my knowledge, indeed shaking hands is only done when encountering others. As for when entering a gathering then is not from the way of the messenger may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, nor did he order his companions to do that, rather the messenger may the peace

and blessing of Allah be upon him use enter {Gatherings} and sit where he found an opening. We also have not heard that he may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him use to sit in the openings of the gatherings, while those {in the gatherings} would stand to him in order to shake his hands. So shaking hands in this way is not permissible and I have indeed asked those whom I trust from my teachers about it {this matter} so they said: we do not know any basis for it from the Sunnah.

Refer back the Book Liqa'aat almaftuh volume 1/529

The Print: dar al baseerah

Also Shaykh Albaanee May Allah have mercy upon him said : when one enters a gathering of people, he suffices him self by giving salaams, and if he is able to shake the hand of whom is close to him, then he does that {with out shaking the hands of ever one in the gathering}

Refer back to the tape silsilatu alhuda wa noor number 61

Also I have asked Shaykh Yahyaa al Hajoore may Allah preserve him regarding this matter, so he said: He does not shake everyone's hand, that is opposition to the Sunnah, and rather he suffices himself by just giving salaams.

Complied by Abu Fajr Abdul Fattah al Kanadi

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